The University of Groningen is searching for a new Full Professor who will be chair in Arts, Culture and Society. The new Chair in Arts, Culture and Society will be shaping research and teaching on the contemporary arts with colleagues from the wider faculty to consolidate the strengths of the Arts, Culture, and Media program. This role involves collaborating with colleagues from theatre studies, musicology, arts sociology, and cultural policy studies to foster research in areas such as performance philosophy, reception aesthetics, gender performativity, intermediality, immersivity, identity formation, urban experiences, community building, political movements, industry studies, cultural policy, and cultural entrepreneurship.

Along with a solid foundation in the core artistic themes of the ACM program (theatre, dance, and performance studies or music and sound studies), the incoming chair will be equipped with a firm knowledge of historical changes in the field. As a specialist in contemporary and emerging artforms, the Chair will shape the program’s future, leading research and teaching on topics like recent technological innovations (e.g., hologram concerts, robot acting), performance practices for diverse bodies, and creative uses of AI in music and other forms of computational creativity. The chair will also be working in and contributing to the thriving arts atmosphere of the city of Groningen. We envisage the new chair building bridges with local and regional institutions and festivals such as Noorderzon, Eurosonic, Grand Theatre, Stadsschouwburg, Noord Nederlands Orkest, NITE, Club Guy & Roni, along with other local, national, and international organizations and cultural industries.

Research
The research responsibilities of this professorship cover 40% of the appointment. Research in the field of Arts, Culture and Media is housed in the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) and, within this, in the Research Centre for Arts in Society and its thematic groups: Music, Sound and Culture; Arts, Medium and Moving Images; Arts, Culture and Cognition. Staff members participate in various national research schools, such as the Research School for Media Studies (RMeS), the Netherlands Institute of Cultural Analysis (NICA). You will contribute to this research environment; securing funding for research projects in cooperation with academic or non-academic institutions in the Netherlands and abroad. The chair should have experience in establishing research programs, securing funding, and building partnerships through a strong international network, as well as recruiting PhD students and exploring joint degrees and research collaborations.

Teaching
Teaching covers 60% of the appointment (excluding compensated management tasks) and you are expected to teach in, and lead development of courses at all levels; in the BA Arts, Culture and Media, and courses in our MA and Research Master programs.

Management and leadership
As chair and full professor, you perform management and leadership duties, within ACM, at the cross-program level (Cluster 5) and within the Faculty of Arts. On the national and international level, your participation in networks will contribute to new avenues for collaboration and research initiatives.

The Faculty of Arts fosters societal engagement by partnering with local communities, civil organizations, arts sectors, and businesses. The faculty contributes to the university’s four schools for the development of interdisciplinary research and teaching (https://www.rug.nl/society-business/schools-for-science-society/) along the following themes: (1) Public Health, (2) Energy and Climate, (3) Digital Society, Technology and AI, and (4) Sustainable Development. As chair holder you are expected to contribute to this research environment as a regular part of your duties.

The position
Tasks and responsibilities
We seek a candidate with an international reputation as a research leader and a clearly demonstrated record of accomplished teaching and administration.

You will
- Coordinate and teach courses in the Arts, Culture and Media program.
- Instigate, coordinate, and conduct research in the field of Arts, Culture and Society.
- Supervise and co-supervise PhD students.
- Foster the professional development of the members of the chair group.
- Obtain external funding for research.
- Fulfil organizational roles within and possibly outside of the faculty.
- Represent and promote the chair group in fostering and expanding national and international contacts.
- Initiate, and participate in, activities aimed at collaborating with societal partners and disseminating academic knowledge to the wider public.

Organization
The University of Groningen
Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has established an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university offering high-quality teaching and research. Its 34,000 students are encouraged to develop their own individual talents through challenging study- and career paths. The University of Groningen is an international centre of knowledge: It belongs to the best research universities in Europe and is allied with prestigious partner universities and networks worldwide.

The Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is a large, dynamic faculty in the heart of the city of Groningen. It has more than 5000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The Faculty offers a wide range of degree programmes: 15 Bachelor's programmes and over 35 Master's specialisations. Our research, which is internationally widely acclaimed, covers Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Language and Literary Studies, Linguistics and Media and Journalism Studies.

Administratively, the Arts, Culture and Media program is part of Cluster 5, together with History of Art, Architecture and Landscape, and Media and Journalism Studies.

The Arts, Culture and Media program
The ACM program is unique in the Netherlands for its combination of various theoretical and methodological perspectives across a range of art disciplines; music and sound studies, theatre, film, and the (audio) visual arts. This rich multi- and interdisciplinary setting calls for a scholar with openness to collaboration on multiple levels (scholarly, public-facing, academic mentorship, and teaching). Theatre and performance studies as well as dance, music and sound studies are the domains of artistic practice informing our teaching and research: theatre, music, together with film, sociology of the arts, and cultural policy are core components of the BA and MA degree programs.

Who are we searching for?

You have
- A PhD degree in Contemporary Arts or a closely related field.
- A proven excellence in academic research, as demonstrated by publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals and books published by high-ranking publishers.
- A successful track record in obtaining research grants from national and/or international funding agencies.
- A strategic international network, demonstrated by, for example, participation in internationally relevant conferences and leading roles on editorial boards.
- Demonstrable excellence as a dedicated and innovative teacher.
- Extensive experience with teaching, curriculum development, and successful supervision of students and junior researchers (BA/MA, PhDs, postdocs).
- A proven experience in successfully supervising PhD students (minimum of two).
- A clear vision on the future of Arts, Culture and Society, and Contemporary Arts research in general.
- Excellent leadership skills and demonstrable organisational competences.
- A proven excellence in mentoring junior academic staff.
- The willingness to collaborate in teaching and research.
- Demonstrable experience with societal impact.
- The willingness to learn the Dutch language, for which support is available.

Residence in or near Groningen is a requirement for this post.

The appointment will be at the level of Full Professor with a gross monthly salary depending on qualifications and work experience from € 6,894 up to a maximum of € 10,038 (salary scale H2 of Dutch Universities) for a full-time position. Added to this is an 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of the annual salary. The conditions are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). For international candidates an advantageous tax rule may be applicable.

Date of appointment: 1st of April 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter).
The Faculty will assist the successful candidate in obtaining the requested qualifications for teaching and the Dutch language during the first two years of the appointment.

We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.

Prof Thony Visser, Dean of the Faculty, for questions
anthonya.visser@rug.nl

Ms Thealies Oosterman
t.e.oosterman@rug.nl